Steel Erection Services Provider Selects Link-Belt 175 AT All-Terrain Crane For Bridge Replacement Project

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Smith Erectors of Markel, Indiana, recently used a 175-ton Link-Belt 175 AT all-terrain crane to replace seven box beams as part of a bridge replacement project involving Bridge 133 on a county road near Berne, Indiana. (Photo courtesy of Link-Belt.)

When general contractor Jutte Excavating recently tasked Smith Erectors of Markle, Indiana, with replacing seven box beams for Bridge 133 located on County Road 000 in Berne, Indiana, the company considered using a 110-ton (100-metric-ton) Link-Belt HTC-86110 telescopic truck crane. Ultimately, though, the steel erection services provider opted for Link-Belt’s 175-t (159-mt) 175 AT all-terrain crane for its superior lift charts and comparable ease of transportation.

Running Down The Road

Before acquiring the 175 AT, Smith Erectors already had a 90-t (81.6-mt) Link-Belt HTC-8690 telescopic truck crane and a 275-t (249.5-mt) Link-Belt ATC-3275 all-terrain crane in its lineup, leaving the company with a bit of a capacity gap to fill.

“We talked about getting a 110 but then realized that with the transport options on the 175 AT we could run it down the road like a 110 all the way up to 175,” says Smith Erectors President Garland Smith. “We do a lot of heavy rigging, in plants or setting beams, so we knew we probably needed the bigger machine.”

Bridge Building

Bridge 133 is a single-span box-beam bridge built in 1969 that was identified for replacement due to deterioration and end-of-lifecycle issues. The replacement involved widening the bridge deck by 36 inches (91.4 centimeters) with seven new precast beams, each measuring 57 feet (17.4 meters) long and weighing 52,000 pounds (23,600 kilograms).

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The 175 AT that Smith Erectors used on the Bridge 133 bridge replacement project has a six-section, 197.3-foot boom. (Photo courtesy of Link-Belt.)

The 175 AT offers an up to 197.3-ft (60-m) six-section boom, a 315-ft (96-m) maximum tip height, and a 23,622-pounds-force (105-kilonewton) maximum line pull. In addition to providing optional boom attachments, including an up to 55-ft (16.8-m) lattice offering, the crane features a 20-degree tilting operator’s cab, Link-Belt’s multiple-camera Vision package, a lighting package, and a Counterweight Detection System.

Filling A Niche

Smith Erectors crane foreman Jason Moore expects the 175 AT to fill a unique position in the crane market based on its transport benefits and ease of set up.

“We had experience with the Link-Belt ATC-3275 and have also really enjoyed getting to use this new 175 AT,” Moore says. “It glides down the road, it really is a smooth ride—a lot of power, and then once you’re on site, very easy to set up. It’s very compact, definitely going to find its niche in the market.”

Source: Link-Belt